Ozone Layer Depletion
Ozone is a natural trace component of the atmosphere. It is created continuously through
the action of sunlight and oxygen in the upper atmosphere. At the same time this destroyed by
various reactions with other components in the air. The next result of these natural processes is the
so-called ozone layer in the stratosphere at altitudes between 15 and 50 kilometers in which the
concentration of the ozone is raised. Ozone is a colorless gas, a form of oxygen. However, an
ordinary molecule of oxygen contains two atoms. Because of ozone's composition, it is reactive. It
readily combines with whatever materials it comes in contact with, including such biological
substances as cells and tissues.
Far above the earth, ozone forms naturally as oxygen produced from living things moves
from the troposphere, the layer of air nearest to the earth surface, to the stratosphere. Air in the
stratosphere absorbs solar energy, or heat from the sun, which in turn creates a photochemical
reaction that produces ozone - a benefit to the environment since ozone protects people, plants, and
animals from harmful radiation (Health effects of....).
The ozone layer is important because it absorbs most of the damaging ultra-violet radiation
from the sun before it reaches ground level, where it can cause sun burn, skin cancer and cataracts.
Research suggests that any additional UV-B (ultra-violet radiation) at ground level could depress our
bodies' immune systems, damage the natural food chain and reduce crop yields. Although ozone
makes up less that 1ppm of all the gases in our planet's atmosphere, but it is essential to life on
earth. Scientists assume...
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...in halons - buy the type
filled with a more environmentally safe chemical. If you could join with millions of people across the
nation in conservation efforts designed to protect the environment from atmospheric pollutants,
fossil fuel consumption - and the release of hazardous chemical substances would certainly
decrease. Whatever each of us can do to protect our global commons, it seems crucial to begin
those efforts now, to use a much quoted phrase:" We are all in this together." All of us need to
work in our own particular ways to be caretaker of the earth.
Bibliography:
"Health effects of Overexposure to the sun." 22 March
2000. (23 March 2000).
"Ozone Science: The facts behind the phaseout." 22
March 2000. (23 March 2000).
"Grave threat to Earth's protective ozone layer." (2 April 2000).
oxygen out of the blood and uses it in the body's cells. The cells use
...re absorbed by atmosphere. The remaining 40 % passes through the layers of the atmosphere and reaches the Earth’s surface. Fifteen percent of the rays are reflected by the Earth’s surface and the rest heat up the land and oceans. The Earth’s surface gives off heat radiation, where it is picked up and held by the greenhouse gases; such as, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases (Andrian09’s Blog). These “greenhouse gases make up only about 1 % of the Earth’s atmosphere; they regulate our climate by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket that surrounds the planet” (West). Without an atmosphere, the Earth’s surface would be colder at night and become hotter during the day. The atmosphere’s main job is to regulate the temperature and secure the heat in Earth; so that the heat does not escape leaving the planet cold (King, 2008).
the earth that allow the world to be inhabitable. This layer of water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and other gases works
Stratospheric ozone absorbs 97-99% of ultraviolet radiation. As this protective layer continues to dissentigrate, human health will suffer. One American dies every hour from skin cancer, a direct result of ozone depletion by anthropogenic chemicals, primarily CFCs, which damage the ozone layer. Alternate chemicals are now being used in the place of CFCs that will not damage statospheric ozone, and there is international recognition of the importance of developing these chemicals. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty which limits the production of ozone depleting substances. Still, human health is at risk from the deletion of ozone, and the risk factor will continue to rise unless people and industries become more aware of the implications connected with everyday use of chemicals which destroy stratospheric ozone.
“The ozone is a pale bluish form of oxygen gas with an odor like chlorine, formed by an electrical discharge in the air” (Webster 185).
The ozone layer shields the Earth and its inhabitants from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. It absorbs or blocks out 95% of high frequency ultraviolet radiation. The layer is comprised of a molecule called ozone, an electrically charged form of oxygen that is produced when sunlight reacts with chemicals in the air. The ozone molecules have the ability to filter the radiation, allowing only a small fraction of it to pass through (Gribbon 56). The layer is found in the Earth’s stratosphere, with its peak concentration about twenty-five kilometres above the Earth’s surface.
The earth cannot hold life without the ozone, which epitomizes the very opposite of a trivial situation. In the ozone cycle, there are three forms of oxygen present: atomic oxygen, O, molecular oxygen, O2 (oxygen gas) and triatomic oxygen, O3. Photodissociation of the oxygen molecule converts molecular oxygen into two atomic oxygen radicals, which then combine with more O2 molecules to form O3 molecules. These O3 molecules absorbs UV rays thus preventing the risk of cance...
to breathe. Ozone, on the other hand, contains three atoms per molecule. Its formula is
Throughout the years, advances in technology and scientific development have greatly influenced our global community. Various anthropogenic factors, such as the increased combustion of fossil fuels and widespread usage of manmade chemicals, have greatly affected the planet's atmosphere and it's ozone layer.
Ozone can cause part of your lungs to close off and make it harder to breathe.
In this document I will explain how the ozone hole is formed and the effects that it has on the environment, what global warming is and how it is caused, and the ways, if any, in which these two phenomena are linked together. Both the ozone hole and global warming have an effect on the environment. They have been a cause for concern amongst researchers as these effects appear to be harmful to most aspects of life. Ways to reverse these phenomena and prevent their further development are being actively researched.
The ozonosphere or as we know it, the ozone layer, is the region of the Earth’s upper atmosphere. It contains a high concentration of ozone molecules. The ozone molecules in the ozone layer work to block an estimated 97-99 percentage of solar radiation from reaching the Earth’s surface. If the ozone layer were not present the radiation from the sun would kill most living things and make our planet uninhabitable. The size and thickness of the ozone layer varies by location and the time of year. It is larger towards the poles of the earth and at its thickest during the spring time. The ozone layer was first discovered by Charles Fabry and Henri Buisson in 1913. In 1958 a network of ozone monitoring stations were established and still operate today. It is important to understand and monitor our ozone layer in order to protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful radiation. We will look at the current status of the ozone layer, the main causes of its degradation, and what the future holds for the ozone layer if we don’t change the way we live.
...e sun, this is of a longer wavelength and is absorbed by the atmosphere. The Earths atmosphere, thus acts like the glass of a green house, hence the 'greenhouse effect'.
causing more carbon dioxide to be released into the atmosphere. Once this process starts, it is
The Ozone layer is like our shield that is 10 to about 30 miles above the earth. It protects the world from the sun’s harmful and crazy hot rays that can do serious damage to all living things. But it can also be bad of the ozone was too low to the earth’s surface it can pollute the air and kill or put people in critical condition. If it shrinks too much, which probably could happen, it would no longer keep us safe form the sun.